A Prank Gone Wrong
by Awesome Rapidash
Summary: Natalie didn't think her little pranks caused problems. That is, until Elliot started to get on her case about them! Now upset and confused she needs to vent and she knows just who will listen!


_**A/N:**__ This is a quick little one shot that I came up with to try and help me past a bout of writers block. Have fun and let me know what you think. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own any aspect of Island of Happiness. _

_**A Prank Gone Wrong**_

"Stupid Elliot!" Natalie huffed to herself as she threw the door of her home open and stormed out. "Why must he always insist on having the final word on everything?" She grumbled and kicked a small pebble across the path. After a few moments, she turned and headed toward Sky Blue Ranch. She needed to vent and Mark was just the person to let her.

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Mark was busy with the usual ranch chores that filled the young farmer's day. Pausing for a moment the blond haired farmer looked up at the cloudless blue sky above him. He rubbed the sweat off of his brow and looked over the patch of earth he's just finished planting. A smile filled his face; it was such a nice day to be out working and things were going well for a change. That is, until someone paid him an unexpected visit.

"Mark, I need to talk to you!" an angry Natalie shouted as she entered his farm and walked over to where he stood.

Mark looked over in shock when he heard the angry tone. "Uh... sure, Natalie, what is it?"

"My dimwitted brother, that's what!" the redheaded girl spat out. "What is it with boys? Why do you always insist on having the last word on things?"

Mark backed up a step. "Why are you grouping me with Elliot in that last statement?" The farmer retorted. "I don't always insist on having the last word..."

Natalie sighed. "I was just saying is all," she answered. "It's just that no matter what, he always has to find a way to have the final say in things, even after I asked him twice to drop the subject!"

The blond haired farmer fidgeted uncomfortably. "Um... this may not be my place to ask, but what was the subject you wanted him to drop?"

Natalie sighed again. "He was on my case about my playing pranks on our Grandfather," she answered. "He was saying that my pranks aren't very funny and that I should stop."

Mark nodded. "Oh, so that's it," he murmured as a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"Yeah, that's it," she agreed nodding her head slightly. "My Grandfather is so weird! You know, with his weather predictions and all. I just can't help myself. But Elliot seems to think I'm being mean!" she added looking over at Mark. "Do you think I'm being mean for playing a few harmless jokes?"

Mark thought a moment before answering. His Mom had always told him that honesty was the best policy. "Well it depends on the tricks you are playing on him. You may think it's harmless, but others may see it differently.

"What do you mean by that?" Natalie retorted her eyes wide in shock at what she was hearing. "I don't do anything that would harm him after all!"

"Whoa, whoa... take it easy Natalie," Mark replied holding up his hands quickly. "Look, I'm not saying you mean to do him harm, and believe me I'm not taking Elliot's side in this. But some jokes may do more harm than you think. In fact, I know someone who thought she was playing a harmless little prank... and it turned into something much worse."

"Oh? And who might that be if I may ask?" She asked curiously.

"You probably don't know her very well as she keeps to herself mostly," Mark answered. "She lives over in the forest, her name is Hikari."

Natalie gave the farmer a curious look. "I've never heard of her. Did she recently arrive here on the island?" In silence, Mark turned his head and nodded at the redheaded girl. "So what made her prank so terrible?"

"I didn't think you have heard of her, so don't worry about that," he replied. "She's lived on the island some time now but she mostly keeps to herself. Now you see... one day Hikari thought that it would be fun to put something in my food. It wasn't supposed to do much, but… according to Hikari I was only supposed to get some rabbit ears for a little bit. But what ended up happening was... well, let's just say that it made me really sick! Remember those days I was out sick a few weeks ago? Well, that was why."

The redhead nodded and adjusted her bandanna. "Yeah, I remember that. You told me you had a stomachache."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, that's right. But it was all because of Hikari's prank."

"I see. But I don't see how that is the same as what I do?" Natalie replied dryly.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Think, Natalie, have you ever done something thinking it would be funny, but things turned out badly? That what you thought was just a harmless little prank ended up being more hurtful instead of funny?"

A sheepish look filled the girls face. "Um, yeah... but I didn't mean for things to go that way!"

Mark nodded. "Exactly, that is what I am saying. When Hikari found out that her little prank had made me sick, she actually apologized about it. That really surprised me because I've never heard her apologize for anything before. Now she still pulls pranks, but sometimes they end up more hurtful than she intends, and that's probably what happened with you, I'm guessing." He gave the girl standing across from him a small smile. "Elliot probably gets on your case for those, I think."

Natalie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he does. But just at that very moment in time I really didn't want to talk about it. So I asked him to drop the whole subject. But you know what he did instead?"

"Knowing Elliot and the reason you are here now... he wouldn't drop the subject, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. And he kept on bugging me and bugging me about it!" she answered in a frustrated tone. "Finally I asked him one last time to drop it, but…"

"Yeah, I get the idea. Basically in the end it turned into a squabble between you and your brother. He wouldn't drop the subject and you didn't want to hear what he had to say. So you stormed over here to talk to me."

Natalie nodded. "Yeah that's it exactly! Now, I want your opinion about my pranks. I still wanna pull them after all. But do you think I should stop?"

Mark paused for a moment, making sure of what he wanted to say before speaking. "Well I say if you want to still pull them that is completely up to you. But I would suggest being a bit more careful with them. Because like I said, some can end up being more harmful than you might think." Mark gave her a sly look. "You might want to make sure that Elliot doesn't catch you pulling them either."

Natalie bobbed her head in agreement. "Yeah, I don't want to hear him babble on about it after all," she replied with a sigh. "I guess I was just being a little silly about all of this. But sometimes... he just makes me so mad!"

Mark smiled. "Yeah, but that's normal for siblings. You should have seen me and my younger sister. We would squabble and argue over even the tiniest of things. Looking back on most of the things we used to argue the most about, it seems petty and stupid to be fighting over such things. But at that time, you don't really see it that way."

Natalie nodded and sat down on a stump. "Yeah, I suppose so. "Thanks for hearing me out Mark."

Mark smiled, glad that things had turned out the way they had, "You're welcome, Natalie."

After a little bit she stood back up and gave the farmer a smile. "I think I'm going to talk a walk to cool off before going back home."

"That sounds like a good idea. Do you want some company?" Mark asked curiously. "I've already done most of what I need to do and I wouldn't mind taking a small break."

"Yeah, that would be nice," the redhead answered softly as her cheeks turned a slight shade of red. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome!" Mark replied his cheeks also turning a pinkish shade.

Together they walk out of the fields and head down the path towards the beach. They arrived just as the sun is beginning its descent towards the horizon, filling the sky above them with deep shades or yellow and orange. After walking along the soft sand of the beach for a little bit, Natalie stopped and looked at the young man standing next to her. "I feel much better now, Thanks for letting me vent on you Mark."

"No problem, Natalie," he replied happily. "You can come to me anytime you need to do that."

Natalie smiled back. "Thanks Mark. I'm gonna head back home now. I appreciate you taking the time to hear me out on this." She gives him another smile before turning and heading back up the beach towards her home.

Mark watched her walk away, grateful that the fading light hid the growing blush filling his cheeks. "Good bye, Natalie!" Once she was out of sight, he walked off the beach and headed back towards his farm happy that he could help his friend.


End file.
